Editorial
cartoon made people think

Ted Daniels Published: June 10, 2006 12:00 AM

I had two phone calls and one visitor about the editorial cartoon that ran on this page Monday. Those numbers by themselves arent all that unusual given that editorial cartoons seem to stir up more readers than just about any other feature in the newspaper. But the three interactions collectively made quite an impression.The cartoon by Monte Wolverton had two flag-draped coffins sitting side-by-side. A voice coming from the first one said, Im sure glad Iraq is a peaceful democracy now! The voice from the other one, responded, Yeah. As it turns out, the president knew what he was doing all along ... that and the low gas prices make it all worthwhile.Surprisingly, the calls didnt arrive until Tuesday. The first caller, former county Prosecutor Robert DeSanto, said the cartoon was offensive and belittled the sacrifice of the soldiers who have died in the Iraq War. We discussed cartoon might be a bit of a misnomer in referring to editorial cartoons since it implies light-hearted humor. Not all editorial cartoons are meant to be funny. Just like the other forms of opinion on the editorial page, their purpose is to make readers think.The best editorial cartoonists often approach the line of what might be perceived as bad taste to get their point across without actually crossing it. DeSanto said this one crossed the line and suggested we apologize.I told him he was the first reader to call about it.Not two minutes later, Mike Sheriff, a Hayesville-area native who now lives in Shelby, called, saying it was the first time in his 47 years he was upset enough to call the newspaper. He expressed the same concerns as DeSanto, adding he had a young son in the Army who was just getting ready to head off to infantry school.Later that afternoon, that son, Pfc. Joshua Sheriff, showed up in my office politely asking if he could speak with me. As he handed me the folded-up copy of the cartoon, Pfc. Sheriff stated similar concerns as the two callers. He said he thought we owed his comrades who had served in Iraq an apology.I asked Pfc. Sheriff about what his future in the Army held. In a conversation, punctuated by a lot of sirs, he said on July 19 he would be reporting to Fort Benning, Georgia, first for infantry school and then airborne school. After that, he said he likely would be headed to Iraq.What struck me about this impressive 18-year-old was his dedication and singular focus on the future. He wanted to be a foot soldier fighting for his country. The reality of war hit me when I realized this young man in a crisp dress-green uniform could be fighting on the front lines in Iraq in a matter of months. I assured him and I want to assure our readers running this particular cartoon was not meant to demean the sacrifices of those who have served and died in Iraq. I apologize to anyone who might have been offended by it.Ironically, this particular cartoon served its purpose. The conversations it spawned certainly have made me think.n Contact Ted Daniels, T-G editor and general manager, at 419-281-0581, ext. 211 or at tdaniels@times-gazette.com.